Everyday on my way to school I see the same thing. The Gateway arch. The Gateway arch is the staple of Saint Louis bringing Locals and tourist from all around the world just to see it.
Even though the arch has been there my whole life I never stopped and asked the question of what is the meaning of the arch and has the gateway arch changed from its original purpose to its modern role as a tourism symbol?
The problem is that the Arch does not get the recognition that it deserves, many tourist think of it as the Gateway to the west and don’t give it a second look ( I was the same way). There is not enough awareness when it comes to the history of STL and the meaning behind structures of the past. My goal is to explore into the history of the Arch and find the meaning behind it, this is to bring awareness and deem it not just a tourist attraction but a staple in history. For my project I will build a timeline of its creation and the development of the surrounding areas. I will also examine the meaning and purpose behind the structure and what time was like during the creation of the arch, to show that its not just a tourist attraction but a meaningful structure that is a polite nod to history.
To understand the creation of the Saint Louis Arch we must go over its past and original purpose. Before the Gateway Arch was built the 1930’s, STL was deemed to be the center of trade and manufacturing, the city was filled with factories warehouses and old brick buildings, it was known as the economic center of the west due to the trade along the Mississippi river and many railroads which are still in use today.
The Mississippi river played a huge role when it came to expansion in the Untied states, due to it being a crossroad for expansion into the west. In 1803 Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana territory from France which doubled the size of the US and opened up more land into the west, this is known as the Westward expansion. “Jefferson sent James Monroe to join Robert Livingston in France to try to purchase New Orleans and West Florida for as much as $10 million” (The Historian).
Jeffersons purchase was one of the most important decision in U.S history. This is because the U.S went from a small county with only east coast territory to a large country, this also opened up the Mississippi river which was critical for trade. With these new opportunity’s for farmers and business to ship out goods. Now that the US fully controlled the west and especially the port of new Orleans. it also boosted U.S power because after the purchase France moved out of the United States and could no longer control the land.
STL was a staple for trade at the time and moving into the 1930’s civic leaders wanted to honor the Westward expansion and the President who initiated it. It was decided by President Franklin D Roosevelt to build a structure as a tribute to the late president, A nationwide competition was held in 1947-48 to determine what could be built on the 40-block footprint to honor Thomas Jefferson, and his Louisiana Purchase. Architects all over the world submitted there designs. The winner was Eero Saarinen, a finish architect. His idea was simple a stainless steel arch, the design ended up winning due to its boldness. In 1961 construction of the arch took place.
The history of the arch and its original purpose lost its meaning now in days people see it only as a arch and not an image of the history and sacrifice that the late president made when it came to expanding territory and making the United States and independent country and eventually the backbone of the world. Using a timeline my goal is to bring awareness to the past and showcase the history and creation of the arch to bring attention to the meaning of the structure so tourist don’t see it as just an attraction but a crucial part of history that changed America for the better. I believe that overtime people have forgotten the reason why the arch was built and my goal is to bring awareness.
(Bellow is the image timeline, it will not let me embed it)
(This is my Excel document used to make the timeline)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pbc6y-EgZkqMEXH0CSjXqKfKoGJWT5Xs3zQfXHzX1Do/edit?gid=0#gid=0
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“1933 – Civic leaders in St. Louis propose a memorial to honor westward expansion and Thomas Jefferson.
1935 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt approves the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial through federal legislation.
1947–1948 – A nationwide design competition is held; architect Eero Saarinen’s design for a stainless steel arch is selected as the winner.
1954 – Final design plans are completed after years of development and refinement.
1961 – Construction of the Gateway Arch begins.
1963–1965 – The two legs of the Arch are built upward simultaneously.
October 28, 1965 – The Arch is completed when the final keystone piece is placed at the top.
1967 – The Arch opens to the public, including the tram system to the top.
2018 – The site is renamed Gateway Arch National Park and major renovations are completed.” (The gateway arch)
Changing the name in 2018 removes the original purpose of the Arch and the history behind it, in 2018 its meaning changed from Thomas Jefferson Memorial to The Gateway Arch declaring it a tourist attraction
“the primary reason for the name change was that the memorial is effectively known as “Gateway Arch” to most visitors. The name Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, quite a mouthful, never stuck with the locals, nor did it connect with St Louis. It could be that “Jefferson” became less than important than when the memorial was established, because in 1943, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was built in the Capitol Mall in Washington, DC. Rather than memorializing Jefferson, the Arch celebrated his main contribution to the westward expansion, the Louisiana Purchase.” (Sacco, Nick )
Knowing that the name change taints the history of the arch it is our goal to spread the history of the structure with the help of local radio stations, museum representation, sharing the timeline map to locals and travel agency’s, and contacting the city asking for a Thomas Jefferson memorial day to bring recognition to the arch is the best way to keep or city’s history alive.
In conclusion, tourism is taking over the history of the arch and many visitors don’t fully understand the deeper meaning behind it. It’s easy to see it every day or visit it once and not really think about what it represents. A lot of people are aware that it’s “the Gateway Arch,” but few know it represents westward expansion, Thomas Jefferson’s role in the Louisiana Purchase, or St. Louis as a starting point for exploration. So yes, many people are somewhat aware of it, but a large number are still mostly oblivious to its full history. In short, tourism is what most people see first, but the history is still there underneath it. The challenge isn’t that the Arch has lost its meaning it’s that many visitors never take the time to learn it.
Work cited
Dana, J. (2024, June 27). St. Louis Riverfront Clearances. St. Louis Riverfront Clearances – by Jackie Dana. https://unseenstlouis.substack.com/p/st-louis-riverfront-clearances
Gateway arch history. The Gateway Arch. (2026, March 28). https://www.gatewayarch.com/about/arch-history/
National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). A gateway to the West. National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2016/fall/gateway-arch.html
Sacco, N. (2018, March 1). Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Becomes Gateway Arch National Park. Exploring the Past. https://pastexplore.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/jefferson-national-expansion-memorial-becomes-gateway-arch-national-park/
The terra galleria blog – Qt Luong. Terra Galleria Photography. (n.d.). https://www.terragalleria.com/blog/gateway-arch-national-park-thoughts-on-a-name
U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Materials and techniques. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/materials-and-techniques.htm